Antler-bearing animals, such as deer and elk and the like, have been prize trophies for many hunters for centuries. Many hunters try to bag a trophy animal but only a small amount are successful. The antler-bearing animals have three advantages; they have keen sight, smell, and hearing. A human alerting any one of these senses will alert the animal which will slip away from the hunter and keep a distance between the hunter without ever being seen.
To overcome this problem, hunters have adopted various devices for attracting the animal while allowing the hunter to remain at a distance. These devices play on the keen senses of the animal to attract the animal to the device through powerful signals to which the animals will respond. For example, one scent spray method commonly used involves spraying scent on the hunter's pants legs and the bottom heel part of his shoes. The scent is typically obtained from the urine of the animal, perhaps from a sexually active female, which therefore contains powerful pheromones attractive to the male animal. An example of a scent dispensing apparatus is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,763 issued to Kierum et al. on Sep. 4, 1990 for "Animal Scent Dispensing Apparatus". Kierum discloses a scent-containing reservoir dispensing scent in a dripping fashion.
Another method of attracting antler-bearing animals reproduces or simulates the sound of two deer sparring. In sparring, antler-bearing animals fight with their antlers and foreheads to determine which buck earns the right to the herd and access to reproduction. The sound of antlers rattling can be performed manually by holding an antler in one hand and clashing or lightly striking it into another antler held in the other hand. While actual antlers may be used, numerous varieties of synthetic antlers have been suggested. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,850,928 and 4,610,641 disclose synthetic antlers. Devices other than synthetic antlers have been disclosed which simulate the sound of antlers rattling. Such devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,074 and 5,158,494. Another commonly used means of simulating the sound of antlers rattling is to place a number of wooden rods in a cloth bag and to strike the bag against an object to cause the clacking sound of antlers rattling.
Animals may also be attracted by calls. An example of a mechanical (as opposed to reproduction of a call by sound recording and playback means) deer call, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,925.
In order to increase the effectiveness of the device, more than one of the senses of the animal may be stimulated. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,408 issued to Smith on Jul. 9, 1991 for "Deer Attracting Device" discloses a device which includes a noise generator, a movement generator, and a scent generator, all of which operate under the control of timers activated by a remote switch. The movement generator simulates the movement of a deer tail, the scent generator uses a heated element to evaporate scent, and the noise generator is an electrical solenoid moving a scraping element over a sounding board element.
While Smith discloses the use of a remotely operated switch, true remote control of the radio type has been used to improve the realism of decoys. U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,927 issued to Boston on Sep. 5, 1972 for "Radio-Controlled Decoy" discloses a water fowl decoy having a servo operated rudder to steer the decoy from a remote radio transmitter. U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,780 issued to Overholt on Aug. 10, 1993 for "Remotely Controlled Decoy and Method" discloses a radio controlled decoy employing a number of auditory and visual signals for attracting game. The decoy of Overholt takes the form of fowl, such as turkeys, geese, ducks, and the like. Overholt specifically discloses means for generating movement of the decoy and for operating a mechanical type game call where sound is produced from the friction of one member moving against another.
There are various disadvantages to the use of manual antler rattling methods. For example, the animal may sight the movement of the hunter before it is drawn closely enough by the sound of the antlers. Furthermore, the sound of the antlers may attract the attention of another hunter, there by placing the hunter making the rattling sounds at risk of the other hunter shooting toward the sound.
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of antler rattling and scent use as set forth above, other objects of the present invention are:
(a) to provide an antler rattling and scent release device that is lightweight and therefore easily carried and deployed; PA1 (b) to provide the flexibility of a tripod type stand with adjustable length legs, allowing for deployment on uneven ground; PA1 (c) to provide alternative deployment means so that the present invention may be strapped to an object off the ground; PA1 (d) to provide an antler rattling and scent release device that will operate remotely from human hands and human scent by the use of radio remote control or by a repeat cycle time delay mechanism; PA1 (e) alternatively, to provide for a device that combines antler rattling, scent release and a game call.